Diffusion of ISO 14001 environmental management system: global, regional and country-level analyses

•The growth of ISO 14001 worldwide resembles a logistic function closely.•There is a sustained growth of ISO 14001 in the Far East and European Regions.•A significant relationship exists between the number of ISO 14001 and export.•Spatial–temporal analysis shows that the diffusion of ISO14001 was from west to east.

This paper explores the diffusion patterns of the ISO 14001 environmental management system worldwide. By using the data obtained from the ISO Survey of Certifications, the diffusion of ISO 14001 was investigated at global, regional, and country-specific levels. The results showed that both global and regional patterns resembled a typical logistic growth curve. The parameters of logistic curves were identified using nonlinear regression estimation, and the total number of ISO 14001 certificates issued was projected. At the country-specific level, correlation analysis was performed and three distinct groups were identified. The three groups resembled logistic growth curves with different growth rates. The spatial–temporal analysis showed that the diffusion of ISO 14001 was from west to east due to supply chain dynamics and change in the volume of total exports.